2025 Expo Osaka: Self-Driving Buses Halted after Minor Collision with Wall in Parking Area; No Injuries Reported

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:38 JST, April 30, 2025

All five self-driving shuttle buses at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo have been suspended in the wake of a minor collision caused by one of the buses.

A bus lightly collided on Monday with a wall of a parking area while it was returning to a depot. The shuttle buses had transported visitors between the expo venue and a nearby parking area.

No one was injured in the accident.

Operator Osaka Metro Co. has suspended the service for the time being until the safety of the self-driving vehicles is confirmed.

According to Osaka Metro, the accident occurred at around 4:30 p.m. Monday in the Maishima parking area north of the expo venue. After a driver manually parked the bus and left the driver’s seat, the bus began moving. It collided lightly with a concrete wall about 50 centimeters high.

Osaka Metro has suspended all five self-driving shuttle buses, including the one that caused the accident. It is investigating the cause of the incident.

The company said the suspension will not adversely affect overall transportation services for visitors to the expo.